02 Dec How can stress negatively affect your body and your overall health?
If you’re running late for a vital meeting, or stuck in traffic, your hypothalamus, a small control system in your brain, triggers the stress hormones to release. These hormones are akin to those that initiate your body’s “fight or fight” response. Consequently, your heart starts pounding, your breath rate increases, and your muscles are ready for action. Such a response was catered to safeguard your body in an emergency by letting you react instantly. But the moment stress response keeps increasing, it could endanger your health.
Stress symptoms might impact your health, even though you may understand it. You might blame sickness for that frustrating headache, your sleeping issues, your feeling sick, or your lack of focus at the workplace. But stress is what negatively affects your body and your overall health!
Causes of Stress
Anything can cause you stress based on the condition and your coping capability. Below are some of the everyday stressors:
- Money and finances – Exorbitant bills, bill collectors, credit card debt, checking your account balance, identity theft, and deception can all boost stress. Money is essential for most individuals; others struggle to make ends meet while others are under or unemployed.Tensions may swirl around how to pay bills, buy groceries. Surviving with stress is highly challenging.
- Family and relationships – Children, separation, the liability of caring for a family, and loneliness can inspire stress. For those going through a loved one’s demise or ailment or playing the role of caregiver for an elderly family member, stress plays a vital role in health and wellness.
Effects of Stress on Your Body
1. Respiratory and cardiovascular systems
Stress hormones impact your cardiovascular and respiratory systems. You breathe heavily during stress response to swiftly distribute oxygen-rich blood to your body. In case you have emphysema or asthma, stress can make it difficult to breathe. Under stress, your heart starts pounding faster, and stress hormones cause the blood vessels to tighten and pivot more oxygen to your muscles, giving you more power to take action and increasing your blood pressure. This poses a severe risk of heart attack or stroke.
2. Sexuality and reproductive system
Stress often reduces a man’s testosterone levels, which interfere with sperm production and cause impotence. Chronic stress might also boost infection in male reproductive organs like the testes and prostate. In the case of women, stress causes irregular, painful, or heavier periods. Severe anxiety can also amplify the physical symptoms of menopause.
3. Digestive system
Your liver generates excess blood sugar or glucose to increase your energy. In case you’re under severe stress, your body might not be capable of keeping up with the extra glucose boost, and it may threaten your health by developing type 2 diabetes. Rapid breathing, a surge of hormones, and a boosted heart rate can upset your digestive system. You can have acid reflux or heartburn because of increased stomach acid.
The effects of stress often lead to emotional and physical health issues. In case you’re grappling with stress, stress is manageable by detecting stressors, talking to a counselor, and meditating.
Stress can trigger a range of physical responses that can contribute to hair loss. When the body is under stress, it produces increased levels of hormones like cortisol, which can disrupt the hair growth cycle. Chronic stress may also contribute to other issues like inflammation or poor circulation, which further affect the health of hair follicles, potentially leading to thinning or hair loss over time. Managing stress through relaxation techniques, exercise, and proper self-care can help mitigate these effects. In addition, there are many supplements on the market that may help with hair regrowth such as those from Wellbel.
The effects of stress often lead to emotional and physical health issues. In case you’re grappling with stress, stress is manageable by detecting stressors, talking to a counselor, and meditating.
This piece discusses mental health issues. If you have experienced suicidal thoughts or have lost someone to suicide and want to seek help, you can contact the Crisis Text Line by texting “START” to 741-741 or call the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255.
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Last Updated on December 5, 2024 by Marie Benz MD FAAD